Andre-vv rankin



UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

ANDREV RANKIN, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

MACHINE FOB NAPPING HATS.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To @ZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, ANDREW RANKiN, of thecity of Newark, in the State of New Jersey, have invented a new anduseful Machine for the Purpose 0f Napping I-Iats; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

In this machine the hats to be napped are put upon rollers between hairor other suitable cloths, which rollers are then to be placed in a boxor case, within which they are subjected to a reciprocating rollingmotion between iiuted friction boards, while they are at the same timesupplied with boiling water, which is pumped up from a kettle containingit, and thereby conducted into the machine during the continuance of theoperation.

Vithin the machine I sometimes employ two rubbing boards, one above andthe other below the rollers, said rubbing boards being moved in reverseddirections by means of two cranks upon the crank shaft, from whichmotion is given to them.

The rollers, in this case, are furnished with gudgeons, upon which theyrevolve, as their axes do not change their stations by this operation.IVhen but one rubbing or friction board is used, the rollers are placedon a carriage, within the sides of which their gudgeons are re-ceived.The rollers, in this case, rest upon the bo-ttom of the machine, whichmay be iiuted or formed of slats, in such manner as to cause it to actadvantageously upon the rollers which traverse back and forth upon it,they being caused so to do by the action of the friction or rubbiligboard, which is placed above them.

Figure l in the accompanying drawing is a perspective view of theexterior of the machine, A, A, being the case, or box, which for theworking of twelve hats should be about three feet eight inches long inthe clear, twenty inches wide, and sixteen inches deep. B is a door onone side, aording access to the interior. C is a crank shaft, having twocranks in reversed directions, for working two rubbing, or frictionboards, a, a, being shackle bars leading thereto. From another crank onthe shaft C a rod D, D, extends, which works a pump E, supplied withboiling water from the kettle F, which water is conducted through thetunnel Gr into the body of the machine, falling upon the rubbing boardsand rollers. The bottom H, of the machine has an inclination 1,328,dated September 20, 1889.

toward the kettle F, into which the waste water is returned through anopening left in the end for that purpose. T, T, is a weighted lever bymeans of which pressure is to be made on the upper friction board. b, b,is a rod with cords attached to it for the purpose of raising saidboard.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the machine longitudinally, c beingthe upper and (Z the lower fluted friction board. The lower board issustained upon four friction wheels, which run upon ways on the bottomof the machine. e, e, e, are the rollers with the cloth and hats lappedaround them, there being two hat bodies to each roller. f, f, f, arecleats placed on each side of the box of the machine so as to receivethe gudgeons of the rollers between them, allowing them vertical play,and admitting of their being lifted out at pleasure.

Fig. 3 is a section exhibiting the manner of arranging the machine whenone rubbing board only, and a carriage beneath it, are employed. The hotwater pump and the other appendages thereto being used in the manneralready described. J, J, is one side of a carriage within notches g, g,in which the gudgeons of the rollers around which the cloth and bodiesare lapped, are received. c, is the friction board worked by a singlecrank on the crank shaft. Theunder sides of the rollers e, e, bear uponthe bottom of the case I-I, H, which operates like the lower frictionboard in the first modiiication, the carriage being made to traverseback and forth upon it by the action of the friction board. In either ofthese modes of procedure the action of the hand is perfectly imitated,and the operation is performed with equal perfection, and in a muchshorter period of time.

The machine may be made much larger than Ithe size herein designated, soas to operate upon a larger number of hats at the same time, and Isometimes introduce steam into it through suitable tubes, but this doesnot vary the nature of the operation or render any alteration in itsstructure necessary.

Having thus fully described the nature of my machine, and shown themanner in which I use the same, what I claim therein as of my invention,and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. The operating upon the hatbodies, in the process of napping, by double friction boards betweenwhich they are placed upon llO form or disposition of the respectiveparts 10 as herein set forth, but to Vary them as I may think properWhile I attain the same end by means substantially the same.

ANDREW RANKIN.

Vtnesses JAMES BIRBEGK, BENJN. C. MILLER.

